How To Be an Emo

The punk movement has epitomized unappreciated teenagers.  Green colored spiked hair, tight pants, anti-establishment T-shirts, spiky accessories, and constantly depressed youth were the nightmares of old people. The punk movement replaced the laid back views of the hippies with angst-driven philosophies. As time went by, teen rebellion died down, replaced by happy images of boy bands and teen pop princesses.

The punk revolution is enjoying a resurgence in today's world. It comes with a peculiar difference. Punk is alive again, but it is no longer driven by the same rage and anger. The new breed of punk is now brought about by the emotion of sadness. This is emo.

You do not have to be young to be emo. But, there are some things you need to do before you complete your transformation into "emotional" punk.  Follow these steps and be emo:

1. Start by understanding what emo truly is.  Emo is more than just the music. It has changed to include the feelings. To be more exact, it is actually a lifestyle where people are in touch with their feelings. These feelings are best represented by the music. This is where indie music and emotional lyrics come in. The music helps these youth express how they really feel. When you truly understand what it is to emo, you can move on to the next step.
2. Like emo music. A large part of being emo is about the music. The music of emo was widely considered underground. Until recently, no one really heard emo music, but then the movement began. To fully appreciate emo music, listen to a lot of emo music. Pick up an instrument and try to play emo music. If you do not know how to play, you can even sing and write music. Start by writing poetry. Then, place music to the poetry. After you are done, you will have a deeper appreciation of emo music.
3. Be emo on the outside. Being emo on the inside is not enough. It is also about the manifestation of your feeling on the outside. Emo fashion traces its roots from the combination of both punk and goth. Both music genres are characterized by the exclusion from the mainstream and it shows in the way they dress. Start with tight T-shirts showing emo bands on them. Tight jeans are also a big part of the emo wardrobe. For shoes, black worn-down sneakers best express the emo attitude. For accessories, black rubber accessories and thick black-rimmed glasses work best.  The hair is also a trademark for emo. Dye your hair in really dark tones like black and brown. Keep your bangs long while the rest remains relatively short. Die the tips of the bangs with blond or unnatural colors like purple.
4. Be emo on the inside. A lot of being emo is in the inside. It is about the feelings. People see emo as bitter, resentful and depressed, but that does not necessarily have to be the case. It can represent sensitive and in touch with your feelings. Focus on the emotional side of life and you can be a true emo in the inside.

Though it is important to be in touch with your feelings, don't let them get the better of you. Be emo by understanding how you feel and what makes you think. In the event that your feelings get the better of you, don't hesitate to reach out. Emo is about you and your emotions and how you deal with them.